National Service Scheme (NSS) – Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai

S. No.	Actual Enrollment of NSS Volunteers	Male	Female	Total
a.	I Year I Semester (2023 batch)	Male	Female	Total
	B.Sc. (Hons.) Agri.	52	116	168
	B.Sc. (Hons.) FND	16	41	57
	Sub Total (a)	68	157	225
b.	II Year III Semester (2022 batch)
	B.Sc. (Hons.) Agri.	62	124	186
	B.Sc. (Hons.) FND	9	36	45
	Sub Total (b)	71	160	231
	TOTAL	139	317	456

The NSS unit of Agricultural Science College and Research Institute, Madurai has been involved in service activities in and around the campus. NSS Volunteers were involved in campus development activities, societal developmental activities, dissemination of agricultural technologies to farmers and various service programmes. The following activities were carried out in the NSS unit of the College.

Twenty five personality development programmes were organized for the benefit of the students. Besides, awareness campaign and important day celebrations were also conducted. The programs include, NSS day (24^th of each year), International Yoga day celebration (21^st June of each year), International youth day celebration (12^thAugust each year), Unity day pledge and Unity run (31^st October each year), awareness programme on endangered tree species, birds and animals, traditional art making – jasmine knitting training programme, awareness on personal hygiene to girl volunteers, Dengue awareness programme, Leprosy awareness programme, Awareness rally on eradication of polyethylene, ARISE Youth empowerment programme, , Blood donation camp, Eye and Dental camp for students, General health Camps for students, faculties and other staff members, FIT India Movement, Competitions for students on important occasions etc.

The following Campus development programme were carried out by the NSS Unit

Massive tree growing programs

As a part of our NSS activity, tree growing is considered as a mandate and essential program. The following activities have been conducted for the past six months.

Massive tree growing program at CSC & RI, Madurai on 13.7.19.
250 West Indian Cherry plants planted in the Amenity Centre, AC & RI., Madurai and Campus premises on 14.9.19.
Rock garden established near the amenity centre on 14.09.19
Plantation drive of nearly 200 tree saplings planted in and around the College on 02.10.19
200 tree saplings were planted in front of the hostels on both the sides of the road on 19.10.19
50000 Neem seeds and 200 Neem balls were supplied by TANSAF and the students of AC & RI., Madurai and CSC & RI., Madurai sowed all the Neem seeds in and around the campus on 19.10.19.
Totally 1435 saplings (palmyrah, nerium, timber value tree saplings) were planted by the NSS volunteers. Under Ainthinai vanam Project, nearly 350 native forest trees samplings were also planted during the year 2017 to 2019.

ii) Sanitation: Under the theme “Clean India” “Cleaned the campus premises regularly for weeds and other plastic materials to make our campus clean”. Around 312 NSS volunteers were involved in weeding and cleaning the students’ arboreal garden, hostel premises, children’s park etc. to make the campus neat and tidy.

iii) Awareness Campaign: A human chain campaign related to Vigilance awareness was conducted on 02.11.2019 at Othakadai, Madurai Dist. to organize “Vigilance awareness Week” from 28.10.19 – 02.11.19. Around 300 NSS volunteers participated in the human chain movement and stressed the importance of Anti-corruption.

iv) Health camp and blood donation

Blood donationwere given regularly by the NSS volunteers for the emergency cases of our Staff, relatives and in certain cases to the public.
Health camp organized for the Staff of AC & RI and HSC & RI, Madurai on 07.08.19

v) Organised important day functions

Conducted FIT INDIA MOVEMENT function on 29.8.19
Celebrated NSS Day on 24^th September, 2019
Gandhi Jayanthi celebration on 02.10.19
National Unity day celebrated on 31.10.2019

vi) Loranthus eradication programme, Plastic cleaning programme, Mass cleaning, termite control programmes, celebration of plastic eradication week, organizing Vigilance awareness week, establishment of Kadambam tree park, source detection and destruction of Aedes larvae that causes Dengue fever, palmyrah nursery establishment, planting of palmyrah, nerium, medicinal plants, neem seeds in and around the campus etc .

Dissemination of Agricultural technologies and societal programmes:

Twenty programmes were organized on various technologies in adopted villages, viz., Kulamangalam, and Arumbanoor during 2017-18. The following activities were carried out during the special camp. Special lectures and demonstrations on Agriculture and allied activities were arranged to benefit the farmers, women and children in the adopted village. Soil testing, importance of organic farming, demonstration on bee keeping, interactive session on farm mechanization, Demonstration on mushroom cultivation, awareness programme on importance of minor millets and value addition, water saving methods in crop cultivation, marketing of agricultural produces, awareness program on diabetes mellitus, child nutrition, nutritional gardening were organized. Awareness rally on conservation of environment, traffic rules, water conservation etc., was organized in special camp villages.